Five years ago, five scrappy and determined friends launched The 19th, with dreams of building a newsroom that centered the women and LGBTQ+ people most underrepresented in legacy media.

It wasn’t easy. Between a global pandemic, a racial reckoning, a recession, an election and an insurrection, our founding years were more than a little bumpy. 

Today, I’m proud to report that we’ve grown to 54 colleagues across 19 states and 38 cities. Our journalists have provided in-depth coverage of the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, a rise in anti-trans legislation nationwide, a crisis in American child care, the impacts of climate change-related disasters, dozens of historic firsts and two presidential election cycles — including Kamala Harris’ historic vice presidency and presidential bid. 

Last year alone, our journalism was viewed more than 57 million times across products and platforms. And we helped to shape a more equitable local and community media landscape with the launch of our 19th News Network. Our newsletter subscribers grew to 71,000. 

And in a time when many American newsrooms have folded, faced layoffs and budget cuts, or endured undue pressure from billionaire owners, The 19th’s independence has only grown; to date we’ve raised more than $70 million in support of our public service journalism from nearly 16,000 donors.

That support has allowed us to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our extraordinary team, providing benefits like six months of fully paid parental leave and four months of fully paid caregiver/elder care leave.

It has also allowed us to invest in the future of the industry; we’re currently in the third year of our Frances Ellen Watkins Harper fellowship, which gives aspiring and mid-career journalists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities a year of on-the-ground training and job placement support. 

When we launched The 19th in 2020, President Donald Trump was on his way out. Now, our newsroom is covering Trump’s second term — an enormous responsibility that will also pose great challenges. And yet, five years in, we’re better positioned than ever to provide the essential context, compassionate storytelling and accountability journalism this moment, and the moments to come, require. 

All of that is thanks to you, our readers and members. You’ve made our dreams a reality, and the five years of hard work it took to get here was worth it. And we’re committed to keeping this momentum going for the next five years and beyond.  

Which is why, on our fifth anniversary, we’re launching our first-ever endowment campaign, with a goal of raising $20 million over the next three years to protect our financial sustainability indefinitely. We’re getting started with a leadership gift of $2 million from Cindy and Greg Kozmetsky in honor of Greg’s mother, Ronya Kozmetsky, who was a tireless advocate for women in business, for equal access to education and for democracy. In recognition of this gift and her legacy, The 19th is thrilled to establish the Ronya Kozmetsky Legacy Fund for Representative Journalism.

Five years in, The 19th’s work — empowering women and LGBTQ+ people with the information they need to be equal participants in our democracy — is far from over. If you are already a part of our community, as a member, reader or subscriber, thank you! And if you’d like to join us, please consider learning more about how you can support our critical work. 

It is such an honor to be able to do this work every day, in service of our devoted audiences, and alongside the greatest colleagues in the business. Happy Birthday, Team 19 — and onward to the next five years!